Merry Christmas from the girls at Scarytales! To celebrate, we are bringing you several dark theories to help explain WHY the Grinch stole Christmas. Lacie then brings you the story of a father who makes the Grinch seem like Mother Theresa. Some might say that Charlie Lawson's soul was an appalling heap overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable, mangled up in tangled up knots!
Resources:
-https://www.cracked.com/blog/the-genocide-plot-you-never-noticed-in-grinch
-https://www.looper.com/99290/things-grinch-stole-christmas-notice-adult/
-https://www.looper.com/88038/critically-hated-movies-actually-awesome/
-https://southerncalls.com/article/the-lawson-family-tragedy/
We're coming home for the holidays! This week we sit down to bring you a few spooky stories from around Alabama.
In honor of Hannah's birthday month, we are discussing her favorite this week, The Jungle Book! While most of us are familiar with the happy-go-lucky Disney version of this story, its origins are much darker. Feral children have fascinated and frightened people for centuries, raising questions about what it truly means to be human.
Sources:
-https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/living-culture/the-jungle-book-the-untold-story
-https://www.biography.com/writer/rudyard-kipling
-https://historydaily.org/oxana-malaya-story-girl-raised-dogs
-https://allthatsinteresting.com/marina-chapman
-https://strangelife.in/sujit-kumar-a-human-raised-as-a-chicken/
Who is spooky and a little gritty around the edges? That's the Sandman. Join the Scarytales gals this week as they dive into the crusty, salty terror of the sleep-inducing, dream-haunting boogeyman. (Big thanks to Chase for writing this lovely episode description).
Sources:
-https://www.freud.org.uk/2020/02/01/the-sandman/
-https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/who-is-sandman.htm
-https://literature.fandom.com/wiki/Ole_Luk-Oie
-https://www.gq.com/story/the-sandman-a-beginners-guide
Chase is back to guest host this week as he and Lacie bring you the history of taphophobia-the fear of being buried alive. Before advances in medical science, our ancestors developed interesting methods to test for life's end. The inaccuracy of such tests resulted in a rise of premature burials that sent a wave of panic through society. As Edgar Allen Poe put it "To be buried alive is, beyond question, the most terrific of extremes which has ever fallen to the lot of mere mortality."
Sources:
-https://www.maxim.com/maxim-man/brief-history-being-buried-alive/
-https://historycollection.com/buried-alive-common-victorian-era-doctors-used-10-methods-prevent/10/
-https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/safety-coffin-0012316
-https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/54818/4-people-who-were-buried-alive-and-how-they-got-out
When it comes to Norse gods, few are more famous than Thor and Loki. Of course, this is in large part due to The Marvel Universe, but they were just as popular with the ancient Norse as they are today. This week we discuss the true relationship between these two frenemies as well as some super interesting details that Marvel chose to leave out. Then, Lacie recounts the story of a brutal string of murders that plagued Colorado in 1984. Who was the killer? A blood thirsty maniac with a hammer.
Sources:
-https://www.history.co.uk/articles/the-legendary-adventures-of-thor-in-norse-mythology
-https://www.lifeinnorway.net/loki-norse-mythology/
-https://gamerant.com/god-of-war-loki-ragnarok/
-https://mythopedia.com/topics/loki
-the-colorado-hammer-killer-from-1984-murder-spree-identified-8a48513fc4b5
-5
This week we are bringing you the bloody and mysterious history of folklore's most notorious outlaw, Robin Hood. Besides the Disney movie, Robin Hood has been the subject of countless ballads, books, and films. But was he a real historical figure? Join us as we try to decipher legend from fact. Lacie then brings you the story of the brutal murders of three young boys in 1993. Within a month, investigators were convinced they had found the killers, three misfit teenagers who would become known as "The West Memphis Three."
Sources:
-https://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/robin_hood.html
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/robin_01.shtml
-https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-asia/evidence-robin-hood-008105
-http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/memphis3/arksct2appellate.html
The circus was the most popular form of entertainment for centuries, but it didn't start with a bag of popcorn and a souvenir cup. The history of The Greatest Show On Earth is a twisted one--one filled with actual blood, sweat, and tears. Those who had the misfortune to be the butt of the joke could harness hatred in their heart that would lead them to do the unthinkable. Listen in as Hannah and Lacie discuss the darkest secrets from under the big top. Not everyone makes it out alive.
Sources:
-https://cdapress.com/news/2022/jan/09/history-corner/
-https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-story-of-circus#slideshow=58613815&slide=0
-https://circushalloffame.com/history-of-the-circus/
-https://www.worldhistory.org/Circus_Maximus/
-https://priceonomics.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-circus-freakshows/
This week we are taking a break from bringing you the creepy origin stories behind your favorite Disney movies to bring you the even creepier stories behind your favorite Disney Parks. You're welcome.
Sources:
-https://reelreviews.com/deadly-disneyland-deaths-at-disneyland
Dr. Facilier may be apart of The Princess and the Frog, but his backstory deserved its own episode! This week we discuss how Voodoo inspired one of Disney's most popular villains. Staying on theme, we then head to New Orleans to bring you the story of a socialite turned serial killer. Stay tuned!
Learn More:
-https://www.learnreligions.com/papa-legba-4771384
-https://www.learnreligions.com/papa-legba-4771384
-https://www.thecollector.com/voodoo-history-misunderstood-religion/
-https://www.learnreligions.com/are-voodoo-dolls-real-95807
-slaveowner-madame-lalaurie-tortured-and-killed-her-slaves-for-fun-231571ba1f7f
-https://allthatsinteresting.com/madame-lalaurie
This week we “dig a little deeper” to discuss the original stories that inspired Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. It turns out that this fascination with amphibians dates back to Ancient Rome and eventually lands into the hands of the Grimm brothers in 1810. Join us as we discuss a tale from “in olden times, when wishing still helped.”
Sources:
-a-summary-and-analysis-of-the-frog-prince-fairy-tale
-https://thefairytalecentral.com/the-frog-prince-origins/
-https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/frog.html#taylor
-https://www.tor.com/2016/05/26/wait-what-happened-to-the-kissing-part-the-frog-king-or-iron-henry/
-https://byufairytales.wordpress.com/thefrogprince/
-https://www.ranker.com/list/zack-and-addie-new-orleans/patrick-thornton
-https://www.thescarechamber.com/hurricane-katrina-royalty-zack-bowen-and-addie-hall/
This week we discuss the very sad origins of Raggedy Ann, one of history's most iconic dolls. Learn how a children's toy became the inspiration behind a horror classic and how one man took his doll obsession to the next level.
We would like to dedicate this episode to Peter the bunny. Rest In Peace, buddy.
Sources:
-http://wordsworthclassics.com/author/gruelle-johnny
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raggedy_Ann
-https://medium.com/the-mystery-box/the-doll-house-of-human-corpses-b49ca89c19c8
This week we discuss the controversial origins of "Mary Had A Little Lamb." It might not be the spookiest thing we've covered, but there is tea to be spilled. Lacie then brings us the case of Mary Bell, one of the world's youngest killers. It's baaaa-zarre.
-https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sarah-hale
-https://archive.org/details/storyofmaryherli00unse/page/38/mode/2up
-https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/literature/controversy-behind-mary-had-little-lamb.htm
This week we discuss the dark history of the world's most infamous prison. Sitting in the chilly waters of San Fransisco Bay, Alcatraz was the home of America's most difficult and dangerous criminals including Al Capone and Robert "Birdman of Alcatraz" Stroud. Over the years, 36 men in 14 different attempts would try to escape the island. Whether or not some of them were successful is still up for debate.
Sources:
Coulrophobia is no laughing matter. Although the actual phobia is somewhat rare, most people agree that clowns are creepy. Clowns as pranksters, jesters, jokers, harlequins, and mythologized tricksters have been around for ages, but when did they turn into the sinister beings that haunt our nightmares? This inherent creepiness was taken to an extreme with the idea of the ‘killer clown.” And some people believe this started with the arrest of infamous serial killer-John Wayne Gacy. Also known as "The Killer Clown", Gacy murdered 33 young men before burying them in his crawl space.
Sources:
-https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20161019-a-surprising-history-of-the-bad-clown
-https://owlcation.com/humanities/History-of-the-Medieval-Jester
This week we sit down to discuss the not so Chinese origins of Disney's Mulan. Speaking of sitting down, we almost had to name this episode "Mulan & The Virgin Wheelchair" which goes to show just how scary this story actually is. We then bring you a very dark case of Lavena Johnson, a female soldier in the U.S Army who died under mysterious circumstances (to say the least). We hope you're ready to be uncomfortable.
Sources:
-https://www.vox.com/culture/21412785/mulan-history-original-chinese-ballad-disney
-https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/article-movie-real-story-of-mulan.htm
-https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1596/mulan-the-legend-through-history/
-https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-footbinding-persisted-china-millennium-180953971/
-https://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-might-not-know-about-attila-the-hun
-http://lavenajohnson.com/about/
-https://unresolved.me/pfc-lavena-johnson
-https://thehueandcry.com/lavena-johnson
-https://unresolved.me/pfc-lavena-johnson
-https://www.donaldwatkins.com/post/the-murder-of-pfc-lavena-johnson-part-1
Arguably one of the most popular figures from Greek mythology, Hercules is a story that most of us are familiar with. Disney released their version in 1997, and the world came to know this demigod as a hero with supernatural strength who saved the world from his crazy uncle. As per usual, we are here to cover what Disney didn't (most likely couldn't) tell you. We also discuss a recent true crime case out of India, where a serial killer named Hercules took Bangladesh's rape crisis into his own hands. Hey, we're not mad about...
Thank you so much to Pretzel Pete's for sponsoring this week's snack break. Check them out at https://pretzelpete.com or follow them on IG at @pretzelpetesnacks.
Sources:
-https://www.worldhistory.org/article/733/the-life-of-hercules-in-myth--legend/
-https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/10/26/survivors-of-bangladeshs-rape-epidemic
-https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/2/5/hercules-vigilante-kills-suspected-rapists-in-bangladesh
-https://www.voxspace.in/2019/02/05/hercules-serial-killer/real-life-vigilantes
This week we are bringing you the creepy origins of Valentine's Day. Although it is said to be a time of love and romance, the history of this holiday is actually quite dark. Like, really dark. And in 2007, February 14th was forever blemished by the brutal murder of loving mother and wife, Tara Lynn Grant. Reported missing on Valentine's Day, the investigation would lead police to a grizzly discovery that changed the life of her family forever.
Sources:
-https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2
-https://time.com/5527259/valentines-day-lupercalia/
-https://www.themidwestcrimefiles.com/post/the-murder-of-tara-lynn-grant
-https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23409987
-https://www.history.com/news/historys-oldest-known-valentine-was-written-in-prison